Island



NITED STATES IATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS R. S. -BULLOOK, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

CUSHION FOR BILLIARD-TABLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part ef Letters Patent No. 613,407, dated November1,' 189s.

Application filed March 18, 1898: Serial No. 674,301. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that il, THOMAS R. S. BULLooK, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State ofRhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCushions for Billiard-Tables, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawings.

The cushions of billiard-tables are composed usually of caoutchouc, orso-called indiarubber. On account -of certain disadvantages whicharerinherent in this material various attempts have been made to improveupon the construction of the cushions and to provide the necessaryelasticity and other characteristics without being dependent altogetherupon the elasticity of the rubber itself. The latter has the drawbackthat after being manufactured and applied it gradually changes and losesits desirable characteristics. It ceases to possess the requisite livelyelasticity and becomes more or less sti and inert, so that after acomparatively short period it becomes necessary to replace cushionscomposed thereof by new ones. The cost of the material, moreover, isconsiderable. So far as I am aware none of the endeavors to dispense inwhole or in part with the rubber and to attain the same results by othermeans have been successful, and I am unacquainted with any form ofbilliard-cushions which has responded satisfactorily to practicalrequirements and met or withstood the tests or conditions of practicaluse in which solid-rubber cushions have been replaced by substitutestherefor.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved construction ofbilliard-cushions which shall be equal in all respects to the best formsof cushions now in use having the bodies thereof composed ofindia-rubber in which shall be embodied correct and scientificprinciples of construction and the correct action and which shall notdepend Wholly upon the employment of india-rubber for the attainment ofthe desired results.

The invention will be described irst with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which I have illustrated the best embodiment of theinvention which I have thus far contrived, after which thedistinguishing characspring-shaped, substantially as shown.

teristics of the invention will be more particu'- larly pointed out anddistinctly defined in the claims at the close of this specification. l

In the drawings, Figure l is an isometric of part of a billiard-tablehaving applied thereto the said embodiment of my invention, with thecloth which covers the cushion removed. Fig. 2 is a view of the samepart in cross-section on the same plane of section, substantially as inFig. 1, with the coveringcloth in place. Fig. 3 is an isometric of oneof the springs detached.

1 designates the impact-receiving portion or nose of the cushion.

2v 2, &c., designate a series of springs arranged side by side in thedirection of the length of the cushion. The said springs are mountedclose together sidel by side and extend into proximity to the apex oredge of the said impact-receiving portion or nose. The individualsprings of the said members are independently movable.

3 designates the cushioncover,which is composed of cloth, as usual.

Iform the impact-receiving portion or nose of elastic material, such asrubber, and, as shown, I shape the same and the parts inl connectionwith which it is employed so that the top of ,the cushion, the edge`portion or apex thereof, which cooperates with ythe balls, and theoutwardly and downwardly sloping face thereof all 'correspond in formand proportions with the cushions of' approved manufacture which are nowin use. The preferred form of spring which I employ in combination Withthe impact-receiving portion consists of a blade One extremity of thespring is connected with the impact-receiving portion or nose l,preferably .by embedding it in the rubber of which said portion or noseis formed and securing it in place therein by the process ofvulcanization. The other extremity of the spring is held securely in asuitable fixture or support. The said fixture or support consists hereinof two strips or moldings 4 and 5. What is herein shown as thehorizontal portion of the spring is clamped between the two strips ormoldings 4e and 5 in the manner which is illustrated in Figs. l and 2,the free end of this horizontal portion being bent vertically at rightangles to lit against the edge of one of the strips or moldings, as 4,to prevent the withdrawal of the horizontal portion of the spring frombetween the two strips or moldings et and 5. The strips or moldings 4and 5 are held together by nails 6, passing between adjacent springs 22, and by the aid of glue applied between the strips or moldings. Theportion of the spring which has the impact-receiving portion or nose lconnected therewith extends upwardly substantially parallel with thesloping face of the cushion, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2. I bendthe upper end of the spring into hook or recurved form, substantially asshown. This accomplishes a threefold purpose. In the iirst place itprevents retraction or withdrawal of the spring from theimpact-receiving portion or nose. In the second place it prevents theend of the spring from puncturing the said impact-receiving portionornose or the cover-cloth when a blow is received from a ball or otherobject. In the third place it causes a greater proportionate partof therubber to be compressed by a blow from a ball against the edge of thecushion and brings the elasticity of the rubber more fully into play,allowing it to act with greater effect in cooperation with theelasticity of the individual spring or springs which have been flexed bythe blow of the ball, thereby giving more speed to t-he ball. Inexplanation of this last point it is noted that it will be obvious thatwhen a ball strikes adjacent one of the springs, compressing theimpact-receiving portion or nose l and bending the -spring, the springitself will have bearing at different points or places within the bodyof the rubber along the line of force, so that as a result of thebending or liexure of the spring a more uniform compression of therubber will take place within the body of the impact-receiving portionor nose l from the ball outwardly to the fixed abutment, which isconstituted by the strip or molding 5. The impact-receiving portion ornose 1 bears along its outer edge against the said strip or molding 5.The support vertically of the said pol'- tion l might be derived whollyfrom the springs 2 2. I prefer, however, to rabbet the strip or molding5 and to rest the outer edge of the impact-receiving portion l on theshoulder 7, which is thus produced, this being shown clearly in Figs. land 2.

To secure the portion l to the strip or molding 5, I apply glue orcement to the contacting surfaces. I also drive brads 8 downward throughthe impact-receiving portion or nose l into the said strip or molding 5.For the purpose of reinforcing the rubber of the portion l, so that thebrads 8 shall not tear out of the same, I embed and vulcanize in thesaid rubber one or more plies or layers of cloth or the like, as at 81,at an intermediate place in the thickness thereof, and in driving thebrads I cause them to pass through the reinforce 8l. The cushion-cover 3is secured to the upper strip or molding 5 by means of the cleat orsecuring-strip 10 and after passing across the top of the said strip ormolding 5 and the top of the impact-receiving portion l is carriedaround the edge of the latter down and under the strip or molding 4, tothe under side of which it is secured or attached in suitable manner.The edge of the strip or molding et adjacent the elbow of the spring 2is cut away or beveled off, as at 11, in order to prevent contact of thespring therewith in the recoil or vibra tion of the spring which followsfrom the blow of a ball.

The force which is transmitted through the impact-receiving portion ofthe cushion exerts itself in a substantially horizontal directionoutwardly to the fixed abutment, which latter in the present case isconstituted by the strip or molding 5. Should the blow of the ballagainst the inner edge of the cushion act to raise such edge above suchline and permit the ball to make contact with a more or less extendedportion of the face of `the cushion, the liveliness of the recoil wouldbe lessen ed and the quality of the action would be injured. To guardagainst such raising of the edge of the impact-receiving portion l, Iproportion the u pwardl y-extendin g portion of the spring 2substantially as shown, so that its upper end shall be coniinedsubstantially to movement along the line of force-'that is to say, itsupper end shall not be permitted to rise above the line or lines inwhich the pressure derived from the ball exerts itself outwardly.

As will be apparent, the elastic material of which the impact-receivingportion or nose of the cushion is formed itself yields or bends at theplace of impact to the blow of the ball, and by its reaction or recoilcontributes to effecting the return play of the ball. In con= sequenceof the use of a series of independently-movable springs mounted in thecushion close together side by side only those springs which areimmediately adjacent to the point at which the ball strikes the cushionare bent or flexed as a result of such blow. The individual springs areproportioned as to their stiffness and resiliency in accordance with thedegree of liveliness desired, and they, respectively, are made capableof responding with the desired degree of readiness. It is obvious thatwere a continuous strip or sheet of steel employed a considerableportion of the length thereof would be affected by the blow of the ball.The greater resistance to bending which is offered by the continuousstrip or sheet aforesaid acts with a deadening effect, which destroys orinjures the quality and action of the cushion, and if it be sought toavoid this deadening effect by increasing the flexibility of thecontinuous strip or sheet the cushion is rendered correspondingly inert.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the elasticity orresiliency of the rubber of which the impact-receiving portion or ICOIIO

nose 1 is composed is utilized fully-that is to say, the saidimpact-receiving portion or nose l is so combined with the strip ormolding 5 that the latter constitutes an abutment therefor, the saidstrip or molding in turn resting against the top and bottom portions ofthe side rail 12. Hence when a ball strikes a blow against the edge ofthe said impactreceiving portion or nose 1 the rubber is coinpressedbetween the ball and the backing,

thereby enabling the elasticity or resiliency of the rubber to reactfrom the abutment constituted by the said backing: vantage which isincident to 'the illustrated embodiment of the invention; but I do notconfine my invention to constructions in which the rubber rests againsta backing. The special aim of the invention is to obviate thedisadvantages which are due to theV changes which take place in therubber which is employed usually in the manufacture of cushions forbilliard-tables, this change involving the diminution or loss of theelasticity of the rubber, so that in course of time the cushion becomescomparatively dead and lifeless. The springs which are employed inaccordance with my inven tion should be sufficient to give to thecushion the requisite elasticity and liveliness. They should thereforebe of such character or quality and should be so proportioned in allrespects that when in a construction corresponding with that which isillustrated in the drawings the rubber changes and deadens with age thesprings will continue to maintain the requisite elas ticity andlivelness.

This is an ada series of bent springs as 2, 2, having hooked.

or recurved upper ends which are embedded in said impact-receivingportion or nose, and a support to which the said impact-receivingportion or nose and the springs are applied, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the impact-receiving portion or nose 1 of abilliard-cushion, the same being composed of yielding material, of aseries of bent springs, as 2,A 2, to the ends of which the saidimpact-receiving portion or nose is applied, and a support to which thesaid impact-receiving portion or nose and the springs are applied, thesaid springs being conlined from movement above the line or lines offorce intermediate the edge of said yielding portion 1 and the backingor abut= ment for the said portion, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.l,

THOMAS R. S. BULLOCK;

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN A. JACKSON, ARTHUR KNIGHT.

